Ice-severing device.



G. P. SAVOY.

ICE SEVERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1909.

Patented ma 3, 1910.

W/ I t w v. a, K mmmmwmm 1 I l I I I I l I l l I l I I l l I I l I lIlll J. la P Q P attouwqs To all whom it may concern:

UNITED sTArEs PATENT o FIoE.

GEORGE F. SAVOY, OF PEWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ICE-SEVERING DEVICE.

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. SAVOY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pewaukee, county of Waukesha, and Stateof Wisconsin, haveinvented new and useful Im rovements in Ice-Severin Devices, of whichthe following is a 'spec' cation.

The ob'ect-of my invention is to provide a device or severing largeblocks of ice into small rectangular pieces of uniform, convenient sizeand shape, by the use of an electrically heated instrument, whereby thewaste and labor incident to the use of edged tools and the ordinarysplitting rocesses is avoided, and whereby the bloclfs may be gotten outmuch quicker and in a neater and more attractive shape than by theprocesses heretofore employed. My invention is explained by reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figurel represents a top View of apreferred form of my ice severing instrument by which the ice is cutinto rectangular shape. Fig. 2 is a side view of the handle and aportion of the blade shown in Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3 represents a side view and Fig. t an end view of the endportion of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents a side view ofa straight ice severing instrument which ispreferably used in severingthe cakes horizontally from the main block. Fi 6 represents a largeblock of,ice, in which the small rectangular pieces, which are adaptedto be formed with my severing instrument, are indicated in part bydotted lines.

Like parts are referred to by the same reference figures throughout theseveral views.

It is a well'i'mown fact that when ice has been packed away in an icehouse fora considerable length of time and subjected to a lowtemperature, that the several blocks of which it is originally composed,congeal to form substantially a solid-block of ice, and that preparatoryto delivering the ice to the trade, it becomes necessary to subdividethe block thus congealed into a plurality of 1 represents acake of ice,asth'e original 0 parts are congealed together in an ice house. 2, 2,represent a series of cakes as they are Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1910.

Application filed May 3, 1909. Serial No. 493,498.

severed into uniform rectangular pieces preparatory to being deliveredto the trade.

3 represents my angular severing instrument, by which the vertical cuts4 and 5 are simultaneously formed.

6- represents the severing instrument in position for use.

The instrument '3 comprises the blade 7, which is formed inline with thehandle and the blade 8, which is formed at right angles thereto. It willnowbe understood that when the instrument 8 is in the position shown inFig. 6, the blade 7 is adapted to produce the vertical cut 4, while theblade 8 is adapt edto produce the vertical cut 5.

The blades 7 and 8 are preferably formed of metal of high resistance,whereby as a current of electricity is passed through them, they becomeheated to a high temperature, and when thus heated and placed upon theice, the ice will be melted and severed thereby, as indicated in Fig. 6.An electric current is conducted to the severing blades 7 and 8 from anelectric generator 9, through the electric conductor 10, switch member11 and conductor 12, when. a'returncurrent is conducted from'the blades7 and 8, through the conductors 13 and 1 1. It will of course beunderstood that the conductors are preferably insulated to prevent theliability of injury by contact therewith and that the conductor 13 ispreferably of a low resistance, whereby the return current will freelypass through the same without heating it. By thus forming the blades ofthe severing instrument at an angle to each other, as shown, two sidesof the blocks of ice are simultaneously formed at right angles to each(other, whereby it becomes comparatively easy to form all of the cakesof ice of substantially uniform sizes and in the desired rectangularshape, as indicated in Fig. 6. When the vertical cuts 4 and 5 have beenthus formed by passing the severing instrument vertically through theblock 1, the horizontal cuts 14 may be more readily pro duced by astraight severing blade of the shape shown in Fig. 5. V

15 represents a straight severing blade of similar construction to thatshown in Figs. 1 to 4: inclusive and the same is in like manthrough theelectric conductors'16 and 17.

i 18 represents an insulating coveiglig -filhich the electric conductorsare shielded from contact with the severing blades.

Having thus described my invention, What ll claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is-

In a device for severing ice by electrically generated heat, an angularsevering blade of high resistance, an electric conductor

